Elia Speakman

Elia Gonzales Speakman, age 75 was called home on February 1, 2021 at home in Monahans, TX. She was born in Grandfalls, TX, on August 9th, 1945 to Pablo (Pete) and Emma Gonzales.

Elia attended school in Monahans. She would later become a licensed hair dresser. She continued her education by getting an associate’s degree.  She married Matt Speakman on April 14th, 1990. During the first years of marriage Matt and her moved the old Take Two Video store and built a new store on 10th and Stockton in 1991. This is where you would see them together renting out movies to customers. Many of her grandchildren grew up at the store. As her and the grandchildren would learn the ABC’s by spraying the alphabet on the windows as they cleaned the windows.

Her favorite hobby was babysitting the grandchildren. She did not want them in daycare but by her side as much as possible. Her grandchildren would call her many names such as “Grammy, Grandma, and Grandma Elia”. Once the grandchildren started to have their own children she stepped in to babysit her Great Grandchildren. The great grandchildren would start to call her “Sugar”. They were all her “Sugar Babies”.  If you did not know how many grandchildren and great grandchildren she had, she would make sure you knew. She took great pride in her family, and wanted to let who know that. They would call her and the last words before hanging up were “I love you to the moon and back, around the world, plus infinity”

Like any grandma would do, she made sure that the family would gather at her home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She would start early in the morning and the festivities would start in the evening. The last couple years her grandson Christopher helped her so that she could continue to have her family beside her during the holidays.  The house would be full and noisy but she did not mind because she had her family together.

Elia enjoyed listening to Christian music and had her favorites Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art and On Eagles Wings to name a few.

Elia was a Catholic and attended Sunday and daily mass on regular basis. In recent years, Elia and Matt started to help with the RCIA program continuing to learn about the Catholic faith..

Elia is survived by her husband Matt Speakman, her children, Mario (Rosie), Delilah (Michael), Orlando (Leticia), all of Monahans, Rene (Shelly) of Weatherford TX. David, Steven and Sarah of Dodge Kansas. 19 grandchildren, AND 25 Great Grandchildren. One Brother Manuel Gonzales, 4 sisters, Jesse Vargas, Vera Medina, Eldia Subia of Monahans and Mary Russell of Odessa.

Elia is preceded in death by her parents Pablo and Emma Gonzales, a sister Ramona, and as she would say her “5 Angels too Beautiful for Earth.”

Pallbearers will be her grandchildren: Robert Aldrete, Stephen Lario, Ricky Allen, Christopher Almanza, Alan Rodriguez, Fabian Almanza and Josh Watson.

“Although you may have fallen asleep, we know you are dancing with your mom and dad in God’s wonderful Heaven”.